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Ghana’s fight against HIV/AIDS is remarkable – GHS Boss

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The launch of the Antiretroviral Treatment @ 20

The Director General of the Ghana Health Service (GHS), Dr Patrick Kuma-Aboagye, says measures and strategies that were deplored through the collaborative efforts of the government, international organisations and healthcare providers across the country in the fight against HIV/AIDS have yielded tremendous results.

“Worthy of note are increased access to Anti-Retroviral Therapy (ART) and a decline in HIV-related mortality rates, as well as the establishment of treatment centers nationwide, ensuring that affected individuals have a place to seek medical care and access anti-retroviral drugs”, he said.

Additionally, treatment guidelines and protocols have been developed and implemented to ensure the delivery of standardised care. He said available data also points to the fact that there is a decline in the rate of new HIV infection.

“These achievements made in Ghana are truly remarkable and are a testament to the commitment and collaborative efforts of the government, healthcare professionals, civil society organisations and the people of Ghana”, he noted.

Some of the dignitaries who attended the launch

Addressing journalists at the media launch of Antiretroviral Treatment @ 20 in Accra on Wednesday, February 14, 2024 Dr. Kuma-Aboagye underscored the importance of sustaining the gains made and further urged all stakeholders in the health sector to work harder to address the remaining challenges.

The program was under the theme: “20 years of HIV Anti-Retroviral Treatment in Ghana; Celebrating the progress, ending the epidemic”.

Ghana diagnosed its first AIDS case in March 1986 and by May 1986, 26 cases had been identified.

Since then, the country has experienced a generalised HIV epidemic, with a current prevalence of 1.7%.

The prevalence, however, is much higher amongst key populations, particularly female sex workers (4.6%) and men who have sex with men (26%), according to data released by the Ghana Health Service.

The data further revealed that presently, an estimated 354,927 people are living with HIV (PLHIV) in Ghana.

Out of this, 7% are children aged 0-4; 6% are adolescents aged 10-19; whilst the remaining 87% are adults. In line with the UNAIDS 95-95-95 targets, 254,753 (72%) of the estimated PLHIV know their status; 222,581 (83%) are on ART and 151,549 (68%) have achieved viral suppression.

Dr Kuma-Aboagye, commenting further, said stigma and discrimination towards individuals living with HIV still persist and act as formidable barriers to testing, treatment and adherence to anti-retroviral drugs.

To overcome this, he said, there is the need to intensify efforts to educate and sensitise communities and dispel myths and misconception surrounding HIV and ARV.

Furthermore, he urged players in the health sector to strive for the sustainability of the ARV programs and ensure adequate funding for consistent supply of ARV medications and the proper functioning of treatment centers.

“We must also strengthen our healthcare infrastructure, ensuring that healthcare professionals are trained and equipped to effectively manage HIV and provide continuous care. We must never underestimate the power of prevention. While ARVs are crucial in managing HIV, prevention is equally significant.

“We must emphasize the importance of comprehensive prevention strategies, including education, condom distribution, and the promotion of voluntary counseling and testing services. By combining prevention efforts with the widespread use of ARV, we can work towards an AIDS-free generation”, he emphasized.

The Presidential Adviser, HIV/AIDS, Dr. Mokowa Blay Adu-Gyamfi, who chaired the program, urged stakeholders in the health sector to use the celebration to reflect on the profound impact that anti-retroviral therapy has had on the lives of people with HIV.

“It has provided hope, dignity and a renewed sense of purpose to individuals and communities around the world”, she said.

In his welcome address, the Director of Public Health at the Ghana Health Service, Dr Franklin Asiedu Bekoe, underscored the need for more collaborative efforts in addressing stigma, discrimination and inequality that still remain a challenge in the fight against HIV/AIDS.

Dr Fred Nana Poku, who represented the Director General of the Ghana AIDS Commission, also urged players in the health sector to further put in more efforts to addressing early infant diagnosis, which is one of the challenges inhibiting progress made in the fight against HIV/AIDS.

Among the activities outlined for the celebration include: tour of ART sites and a commemoration project; documentaries that will take the public down memory lane from 2003 to date; special time with NAP+; Quiz, debate, sports competitions and a health walk dubbed “Adhere to Survive”.

Furthermore, there will be national stakeholder dialogue on ART commodity security titled “Procure HIV commodities or perish with passion”; a research conference; an out of school engagement with Miss Malaika, an ART special trophy soccer match between Accra Hearts of Oak and Kumasi Asante Kotoko; a legacy project and a durbar and an awards night to honor heroes and heroines in the fight against HIV.

By: Stephen Odoi-Larbi and Bernice Bessey

CJ still pushing for financial independence for the Judiciary

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BERNICE BESSEY
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Justice Gertrude Araba Esaaba Torkornoo, Chief Justice

Her Ladyship Justice Gertrude Araba Esaaba Torkornoo, Chief Justice of the Republic of Ghana, has repeated her resolve of fighting for financial independence of the Judicial Service, as required by the Constitution.

The push for the financial independence is to enable the Judicial Service to deal comprehensively with conditions of service of staff as well as to function efficiently.

Speaking at the launch of Judicial Service Staff Association of Ghana (JUSAG) 50th anniversary in Accra, last week, she said the Judicial Council has also recognised that compliance with Article 158(2), 159 and 161(c) of the Constitution require the activation of Constitutional Instrument.

“On assuming office as the Chief Justice, I met the leadership of JUSAG and assured them that the Judicial Service Cl is one of my priorities for assuring better conditions of work in our Institution. Work on the Cl is now well advanced, and the Judicial Council is keeping an eagle eye over the process to bring it to fruition,” she assured.

The theme of the anniversary launch is: “50 years of championing judicial excellence; embracing integrity, digitalisation and upholding judicial independence and staff welfare.”

Her ladyship was excited that JUSAG chose these thematic areas as a focal point for the jubilee celebration.

She, however, called on the judicial service and judiciary to boost the confidence of the public by embracing competence, diligence and integrity.

In furtherance of this, the Judicial Service staff were asked to embrace digitalization, legal literacy, professionalism and ethical conduct for efficient justice administration.

Furthermore, the Judicial Service over the years has received massive investment in infrastructure development, which by extension is bringing justice delivery closer to the people than before.

Samuel Afotey Otu, National President of JUSAG, recognizing the statement made by the Chief Justice, said in pursuit of better conditions of service, Association had embarked on a number of industrial actions in the past few years, which had implications on administration of Justice.

Nevertheless, the Association, he said would look forward to a future where their conditions of service would have relatively permanent enhancement with legal backing in line with Article 158(2) of the Constitution, which provides for a Cl to govern the condition of service.

He added that the theme for the occasion was to help them reflect on the contribution JUSAG had made towards justice delivering, particularly in the midst of technological innovation.

Ayanfuri Chief petitions IGP over non-payment of royalties

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SEBASTIAN R. FREIKU
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Odeneho Kwasi Peprah II, chief of Ayanfuri

The Chief of Ayanfuri in the Central region, Odeneho Kwasi Peprah II, has petitioned the Inspector-General of Police, Dr. George Akuffo Dampare, to investigate a suspected malfeasance in the collection, disbursement and payment of mineral royalties, in respect of Ayanfuri stool land.

He said the 25% mineral royalties accruing from mining operations of Perseus Mining Company at Ayanfuri have not been paid over the years.

According to him, several demands to the Office of the Administrator of Stool Lands, which is mandated by Article 267 (2) of the 1992 Constitution to collect and disburse all rents, dues, royalties, revenues and payments of income and capital from stool lands, to furnish him with a statement of account of accumulated revenue from mining operations have not yielded any positive result.

Dr Akuffo Dampare, IGP

The petition, dated January 21, 2024 follows a request made per a letter dated September 18, 2023 to the Regional officer of the Administrator of Stool lands in Cape Coast and copied to Administrator of Stool Lands, President and Registrar of the National House of Chiefs, Acting President of the Denkyira Traditional Council, the Divisional Police Commander, Dunkwa and the District Chief Executive of Upper Denkyira West Assembly.

The Office of the Administrator of Stool Lands has still not obliged with the request of the Ayanfuri chief five months after he demanded a statement of accounts of all revenues accrued from mining at Ayanfuri and payment of accumulated mineral royalties to the Ayanfuri stool.

The petitioner complained further that not even a reminder, dated November 23, 2023 to the Regional officer of the Administrator of Stool lands at Cape Coast to prove the honesty and Integrity of the Office of the Administrator of Stool Lands has provoked a response and action.

Nana Kwasi Peprah emphasised that the inability of The Office of the Administrator of Stool Lands to provide him with a statement of accounts is a breach of the Right to Information Act.

Nana Kwasi Peprah, claims he has the authority to function as the legally recognised chief of Ayanfuri, hence the demand for such payments to enable him initiate development projects at Ayanfuri.

The basis of his request is two High Court decisions of December 22, 1989 and May 5, 1990 which he claims have not been set aside on appeal.

On December 22, 1989 a Cape Coast High Court, presided over by Justice J. A. Kpegah, quashed the decision of the Denkyira Traditional Council destooling Nana Peprah.

The court also prohibited the Traditional Council from denying Nana Peprah his seat in the Traditional Council.

On May 5, 1990, His Lordship Justice A.A. Benin, presiding, also disallowed an application for stay of execution and awarded a cost of GHc3,000 for the applicant/respondent (Nana Peprah).

Despite these two decisions, the Denkyira Traditional Council claims the Ayanfuri stool is vacant even though Nana Peprah’s kingmakers, from whom he derives his authority, have not destooled him judicially.

He further explained that Section 40 (2) of the Chieftaincy Act (2008) Act 759 provides that “a Traditional Council shall not declare a chief liable to be deposed without judicial process”.

The Ayanfurihene noted that the inability of the office of the Administrator of Stool Lands to account and furnish him as a beneficiary with statement of account and payments of mineral royalties over time raises serious malfeasance in the collection, disbursement of mineral royalties and called on the IGP to use his good offices to cause immediate investigations into the Perseus Mining Company on Ayanfuri Stool land.

Ghana.gov generates over GH¢200 billion for Gov’t

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JENNIFER AMBOLLEY
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Minister of Communication and Digitalisation, Ursula Owusu-Ekuful addressing the media.

The Ghana.gov, a digital platform for revenue collection for institutions in the public sector has generated GH200billion for the government. 

 

This was disclosed by the Minister for Communications and Digitalization, Ursula Owusu-Ekuful, at a news conference organised by the Ministry of Information in Accra yesterday.

“Currently, Ghana.gov has facilitated the collection of an impressive sum of GHS 210 Billion. This substantial amount underscores the platform’s pivotal role in streamlining financial transactions, enhancing transparency and bolstering the nation’s fiscal integrity”, she disclosed.

 

Dignitaries present in a group picture

According to the Minister, the Innovative Digital Services and Payments Platform, GHANA.GOV, stands as a testament to the digitalization agenda of the Nana Addo/Bawumia government in modernising governance and facilitating seamless access to government services. 

 

She continued that: “Through its user-friendly interface and comprehensive array of online

functionalities, Ghana.gov has become a cornerstone of Ghana’s digital transformation

journey”.

 

Mrs Ursula Owusu indicated that 1,507 institutions have been on board in its three years of operation.

This milestone, she argued, symbolised the tangible impact of digital innovation on public services delivery, economic efficiency, and citizen empowerment. 

 

By harnessing the power of technology to centralise and optimise revenue collection processes, Mrs Ursula Owusu mentioned that the Ghana.gov has not only expedited financial transactions, but also minimised bureaucratic red tape and mitigated the risk of revenue leakages, effectively addressing the issue of public sector corruption.

“The success of Ghana.gov also underscores the growing trust and confidence of citizens and businesses in digital government platforms.

 

It reflects a paradigm shift towards digital-

first governance, where convenience, accessibility and accountability are prioritised in service delivery”, she added.

She emphasised that this achievement serves as a compelling motivation to enhance and expand the capabilities of Ghana.gov. 

 

Additionally, she’s optimistic that as the platform continues to evolve, “it holds the potential to catalyse even greater socio-economic development, empower citizens and solidify Ghana’s position as a trailblazer in the digital revolution sweeping the African continent”.

However, she also debunked the myth that e-Services Platform and Ghana.gov are the same.

 

According to her, the e-Services Platform was deployed in 2012 under the e-Ghana project as a pilot to produce a e-Government Portal to provide relevant government services to citizens and businesses.

 

She underscored that the e-Services faced a lot of challenges and as a result the Akufo-Addo/ Bawumia government took a totally different approach to government’s online service delivery by adopting a sustainable and cost effective approach. 

 

“We knew we had local capacity to design and develop a robust system to address our peculiar challenges and so we empowered three indigenous technology firms to design a totally new portal”, she explained.

 

She further explained that government discontinued the Ghana E-Services Payment Platform (GEPP) and entered into a partnership with a consortium of three local technology firms (Hubtel, expressPay and IT Consortium) to design, develop, deploy and manage a one-stop-shop online services platform with an integrated payment gateway for the Government of Ghana, known as

Ghana.gov. 

 

She stated that this platform serves as a shared central point for all government online revenue collection, enabling citizens and businesses to discover, consume and pay for government services online seamlessly.

 

Madam Owusu-Ekuful also outlined the revolutionary Nationwide E-Government Network, aimed at broadening broadband connectivity and promoting digital literacy across Ghana.

This initiative, she stated, is poised to transform governance, enhance service delivery, and empower citizens and businesses nationwide.

 

KsTU admits 8,125 fresh students for the 2023/2024 academic year

By
SEBASTIAN R. FREIKU
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Professor Gabriel Dwomoh - Vice Chancellor, KsTU

The Kumasi Technical University (KsTU) has admitted a total of 8,125 students comprising 5,386 males and 2,739 females out of the total of 8,392 who applied.

Seventeen of these are international students and 52 Post graduate students, Professor Gabriel Dwomoh, Vice Chancellor of KsTU, announced at the 32nd Matriculation held last week, Friday.

The ceremony legalised the status of all new students of the University and thus conferred academic and social rights, as well as other privileges on the students. It also imposed obligations and responsibilities on them.

The Vice Chancellor of KSTU said the students should count themselves lucky to have had admission at the University, which is counted among the topmost Universities in the country and ranked the best Technical University for three consecutive times by the Webometrics University ranking for 2021, 2022 and 2023.

He mentioned that the University maintain high standards in terms of academics and will, therefore, not compromise on them, and advised the students to strictly adhere to all the rules and regulations of the university. He reminded them that breaking the oath has the potential of jeopardising their academic career.

The Vice Chancellor cautioned the students to avoid any examination malpractice because it could lead to their dismissal.

He, therefore, advised them to avoid bad company, which could lead to vices such as alcoholism, indecent dressing and uncontrolled sexual lives.

“The University frowns on those behavioural patterns and will not hesitate to apply the necessary sanctions”, Professor Dwomoh cautioned.

Editorial: Walewale arrest – Ayekoo to the police

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THE CHRONICLE
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Editorial

One of the major breakthroughs that has been made in the financial sector of this country is the introduction of Mobile Money Transfer, popularly known as MOMO. According to a myjoyonline.com report, total Mobile Money transactions in the first 10 months of 2023 reached a record GH¢1.527 trillion as against GH¢844.97 billion recorded within the same period the previous year. The figures from the Central Bank showed that the month of October 2023 recorded the biggest mobile money transaction value of GH¢179.2 billion.

According to the September 2023 Summary of Economic and Financial Data by the Bank of Ghana, the value of mobile money transactions in January 2023 stood at GH¢130.1 billion, compared with GH¢76.2 billion during the same period in 2022.

It surged to GH¢134.0 billion in February 2023 (February 2022: GH¢76.5 billion) and subsequently to GH¢147.5 billion in March 2023 (March 2022: GH¢90.5 billion). This report, which was sourced to the Bank of Ghana, tells a story of how our national economy is being transformed through the Mobile Money Transfer system.

The Chronicle can conveniently state that almost every adult Ghanaian has a ‘bank account’ because of the operationalisation of the mobile money transfer system. The system has also created thousands of jobs, especially among the youth. In almost every town and village in Ghana, a Mobile Money Transfer vendor can be seen busily helping his or her customers to transfer money to either their parents or dependants.

Unfortunately, this huge opportunity that has been created for the Ghanaian youth is constantly coming under threat. As it was happening to the banks before the current police administration intervened to stop them, criminals have made these MOMO agents their target for attack. In so doing, they sometimes succeed in killing these vendors and seizing the money in their possession.

This is a serious matter that can ruin all the gains that have been made in the sector. If the vendors think that they are not safe, they will stop the business, which can also lead to increment in unemployment rates, especially among the youth, who constitute the majority of the vendors.

It is based on this that The Chronicle congratulates the Inspector General of Police and his team for the swift investigation and arrest of two suspects who were allegedly involved in the killing of a MOMO vendor at Walewale, in the North East Region.

The suspects were nabbed on February 17, 2024 barely five days after committing the crime.

A statement from the police, which we have carried at our front page today, named the suspects as Zakaria Yamusa, alias Vandam and Fatao Issah.

The release promised that all those who were involved in the robbery will be tracked and arrested to face the full rigours of the law. In our view, this determination by the police will send strong signal to these social miscreants that they can run but cannot hide from the law.

Indeed, we have noticed that armed robbery cases have gone down for several months now, because the criminals themselves are aware that the police are on their trail. There is no society in the world where criminal activities can completely be eliminated.

What the security agencies, especially the police, can do is to minimise it, which the current police administration is doing. We encourage Dr Akuffo Dampare and his team to keep on with the fight to ensure the safety of businesses and personnel in Ghana. As we have already indicated, Mobile Money Transfer has created huge employment in the country.

We should, therefore, not allow these criminals to destroy the gains being made, which can have serious repercussions on our national economy.

We say ‘ayeekoo’ to the police for the latest feat they have achieved for themselves.

Rainstorm devastates cluster of schools at Asuofua

By
SEBASTIAN R. FREIKU
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Hon. Michael Osei Kwaku sympathizing with pupils during a visit to the school
Soaked exercise books parked outside the devastated classrooms

The Asuofua D/A cluster of Schools at Asuofua, comprising four sets of basic schools each, made up of Pre-School, Primary and Junior High Schools of Blocks ‘A’, ‘B’, ‘C’ and ‘D’  have been closed down.

The closure follows the collapse of some of the classrooms in a rainstorm last Tuesday, which completely or partially ripped off roofs of some blocks, making the structures uninhabitable at Asuafuo, in the Atwima Nwabiagya North district, of the Ashanti region.

Some classrooms of the primary section of Block ‘A’ have developed deep cracks turning those buildings’ into death traps.

Some classrooms and offices at the Junior High School, also at Block ‘A’, have as well had their roof completely ripped off, rendering those classrooms and offices not fit for teaching and learning, as stationery and textbooks were soaked by the rains.

A scene in a classroom

Some of the classrooms of the Block ‘D’ section of the school had had their roofs partially ripped off, exposing the rooms to the direct vagaries of the weather.

The most devastation was recorded at another JHS block of classrooms, which had totally collapsed, requiring urgent attention to restore the classrooms to normal for teaching and learning to continue.

The Assembly Member, Michael Osei Kwaku, with some members of the Unit Committee of the Asuofua-Asaamang Electoral Area, who had visited the scene to acquaint themselves with the extent of the devastation, observed that the disaster offers the stakeholders a unique opportunity to re-consider re-designing the structures to suit modern demands.

Roof of JHS at Block `A’ completely ripped off

Mr. Osei Kwaku appealed to members of the public and state actors to help rebuild the damaged buildings to bring back teaching and learning in the school.

The Headmistress of Block ‘A’ JHS, Mrs. Charity Nseibo, disclosed that some of the affected Primary Schools have been temporarily closed down for the safety of the pupils, whilst efforts were being made to repair those damaged structures.

She called on the government, the Ghana Education Service and the Atwima Nwabiagya District Assembly to come to their aid.

Pupils count the losses after the rainstorm

Queen mother in court for allegedly defrauding job seekers  

By
BERNICE BESSEY
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Court hammer

Jewel Oquaye Prempeh, 55 and Queen mother of Ayite Kortor Community, is alleged to have defrauded 15 job seekers in the sum of GH¢107,000.00.

The Queen mother allegedly promised to secure jobs at the  Ghana Police Service, Ghana Immigration Service (GIS), Audit Service, Ghana National Fire Service, Ghana Cocoa Board (Cocobod), Bank of Ghana, Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) and Narcotics Control Authority with the aforementioned amount.

Jewel Oquaye Prempeh is facing trial for failing to honour her promise after collecting the money from the job seekers, despite her alleged claim of having ties with high profile personalities at the seat of government, specifically the office of the Chief of Staff.

The 55 year-old Ayite Kortor Community Queen mother has pleaded not guilty to defrauding by false pretences before the Accra Circuit Court, presided over by His Honour Isaac Oheneba Kuffour last week.

The court has granted her bail in the sum of GH¢150,000, which must be justified.

Jewel Oquaye Prempeh is facing three suits at the Accra Circuit Court, two before Mr Oheneba Kuffour while the other is being tried by Mr. Samuel Bright Acquah.

In all, she has allegedly defrauded 34 people in a total of GH¢107,145,000 in the  job scam.

In respect of the  GH¢107,000 case, the prosecuting officer, Chief Inspector John Gohoho, told the court that the complainant is one Mohammed Ziblin Azindow, a supervising driver at unrevealed company and resides in Bolgatanga in the Upper East region.

According to him, in the year 2021, the accused informed the complainant during a conversation about a recruitment opportunity slots she had in the institutions mentioned above.

The accused, during their conversation with the complainant, also claimed that she knows high profile personalities at the seat of government, specifically at the office of the Chief of Staff.

The complainant, having shown interest in the topic after the discussion, was given bank details of the accused to make payment before the process begins.

On April 11, 2022 the complainant went and deposited cash in the sum of GH¢44,000 into the accused personal bank account as initial payment and also collected soft copies of certificates and application forms of the 15 applicants to start the process.

On that same day, the complainant made another payment of GH¢63,000 to the accused bank account, which sums up to GH¢107,000.

The accused, after receiving the money, acknowledged receipt and also promised to get jobs for the 15 applicants within two months, but failed and subsequently went into hiding.

All efforts made by the complainant to reach the accused proved futile and, therefore, reported the matter to the police.

On October 18, 2023, the accused was arrested and admitted the offence in her investigation cautioned statement. After investigation, she was charged with the offence and brought before the court.

In the second case, before Mr. Kuffour, the accused, with the same modus operandi collected GH¢52,000 to secure jobs for four applicants in the above institutions.

However, this time round the complainant is Siisu Baharu, a businessman and residents of Savelugu in the Northern region.

The prosecuting officer, Inspector Rosemond Anyane indicated that during the year 2021, the accused informed Siisu about her recruitment opportunity slots in the security services and other state agencies as well as her political ties in government.

After succeeding in convincing the complainant, she gave him her bank details to pay money to begin the enlistment process.

On September 8, 2021 the complainant deposited cash in the sum of GH¢24,000 into the accused personal bank account and forwarded soft copies of the applicants’ certificates, application forms and Curriculum Vitea, as well as their Ghana Cards details.

Similarly, on October 4, 2021 the complainant made another payment of GH¢20,000 to the same bank account and further paid GH¢8,000 in the same month to the accused mobile money wallet.

This brought the total sum of money to GH¢52,000 allegedly collected by the accused.

The accused after receiving the money together with the documents went into hiding.

She was later arrested on October 18, 2023 by the police and admitted the offence during investigation.

The court has granted her bail in the sum of GH¢50,000 with two sureties. She will reappear in court on March 4, 2024.

 

On Ministerial Reshuffle, Shall We Tell The President?

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admin
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OPINION

On the Feast of St. Valentine, some Ghanaians had the best gifts of their lives and some had their worst nightmares. This is about the ministerial reshuffle by the President.

Some MPs have been appointed into government; some have been re-assigned, while others have been kicked out of government.

It is speculated that the president decided not to have anything to do with sitting MPs who are not going to contest parliamentary election, this December and so, very dedicated people like Dan Botwe, and Amoakwa-Atta who thought they have had enough with Parliament, and others like Tina Mensah, Moses Anim and Freda Prempeh, who lost their primaries were shown the exit. All these people have always sacrificed for the president and the NPP.

These hardworking members of government are still MPs. Until Parliament dissolves, they will continue to do business for government in the House.

The fact that they will not be MPs come January 2025, does not mean they are irrelevant now. By the way, the President, H.E. Nana Addo Dankwa-Akufo-Addo, will also not be president, January, next year. So, he and those members of government who are MPs and are not contesting elections this year, are on the same plane. If he is still in office, why should he send away these ministers?

Shall we tell the president that he really hurt these fine and dedicated ladies and gentlemen, who put their lives down for him and for the party?

Dan Botwe was handling local government, fairly well; Amoakwa-Atta’s face is all over the new roads being constructed all across the country; Freda Prempeh, exhibited near excellence as minister of state at the Housing ministry and was about to shine in the Sanitation ministry; Tina Mensah as deputy minister of Health, handled her ministry very well, while the sector minister was almost lost in action and Moses Anim was the pillar behind the dynamic Fisheries minister, who has proven that the ministry can stand on its own and should never be put under the Ministry of Food and Agriculture.

These gentlemen and ladies will certainly be missed. So, shall we tell the president, even though it is will not change anything?

In the midst of all this, we heard Hon. Freddy Blay, saying that the reshuffle came in too late. Did we hear right? Did the former National Chairman of the New Patriotic Party, truly say that the President should have gone ahead to reshuffle his government two years ago, which he believed would have made significant changes for the country?

Of the over seven years of this administration, Hon Freddy Blay was in charge of the party for six years. Two years as acting chairman and four years as substantive chairman. All these six years, has he ever advised the President to reshuffle his ministers? Is he saying this now, so as to shift blames on the president if things go wrong?

Was it not this same Freddy Blay who, in May last year, dismissed calls for his resignation as Chairman of Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC)? Why did he not step down and maybe instigated some reshuffle among Chairpersons and CEOs? Even though he is no longer that National Chairman of the NPP, he is still at post at GNPC, while the current Chairman, Steve Ntim, has been given nothing, at all, and left on his own.

In July 2022, the Steve Ntim’s led administration took over the NPP and they have succeeded in making the President, reshuffle his ministers, achieving within two years, what Freddy could not do in six years.

Shall we tell the President that his bosom friend is telling the world that he, the leader of the nation, does things only in the late hour at the time when no results will be achieved? The question is that, as a long-time friend and brother of the president, senior member of the party and member of the president’s private think-tank, did Freddy Blay ever give advice and suggestions to H.E. Nana Akufo-Addo?

We heard that the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) has served notice in Parliament that all the re-assigned ministers should be vetted. Reshuffling of ministers is primarily defined as, a political leader changing the jobs of his or her ministers with some changing their responsibilities.

The NDC have got the voice in Parliament to make any pronouncements that it likes. When were re-assigned ministers, re-vetted? Only the NDC will pull this stunt. But here again, shall we tell the President that because he allowed the imposition of parliamentary candidates on constituencies in the 2020 General Elections, he indirectly caused the drastic reduction of NPP MPs in the House?

Regional chairmen could walk up to him and propose that this or that party member was not fit to be MP and he will give them the nod to remove them. When the replacements were not the choice of the constituency electorates, NPP lost the seat and this affected its numbers in Parliament

We are glad that this did not occur in the recent primaries and we hope in 2024, the NDC MPs will drastically reduce in the House, so that statements like re-vetting of re-assigned ministers in the same term of government will not be heard from the floor of the House.

Yes, shall we tell the President, all these?

By Daniel Dugan

The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect The Chronicle’s stance.

100 acres Ghana’s largest cashew farm destroyed by fire

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admin
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More than 100 acres of the 1000-acre cashew farm at Vakpo Dzogbega in the North Dayi District of the Volta Region have been destroyed by fire.

The farm is believed to be the largest cashew enterprise in the country and the lost to the fire could reach GHC1.5 million.

Mr Patrick Denka, the Assistant Farm Manager, who briefed the Ghana News Agency (GNA), said the fire came at a time the trees had begun to bear fruit.More than 4,000 matured cashew trees were lost in the wildfire, he said, suspecting the activities of hunters.

The fire, which occurred on Friday, February 16, reportedly began around 1500 hours engulfing the farm, the manager said, and that the few trees that were likely to survive would record low yields in the future.

The GNA saw many trees with ripe fruits completely burnt, with some embers still glowing.

Mr Kofi Dzamesi, the Chief Executive Officer of the Bui Power Authority, who owns the farm, said: “Losses from the fire could reach GHC1.5 million, and that is a setback to efforts at developing the agrarian landscape of this area.”

He said the incident had been reported to the police and expressed the hope that with the support of traditional leaders, such occurrences would be avoided.

“I don’t know if it’s out of ignorance or sheer wickedness. What we know is that the chiefs are behind us. They gave us the land and we will seek their intervention to address the issue of bush burning,” he said.

Mr Dzamesi spoke of the lack of insurance cover in the country for crop farmers and appealed to the Government to support farm enterprises against fire and other losses.

“It is difficult to get insurance companies to insure farms and so the State must come in to support large scale farms”.

From Samuel Akumatey, Vakpo

GNA

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